Help me choose a neck

[Rhino Toaster]

I'm obviously new here, but I've been poking around the forums for a while doing research about Warmoth necks and I finally decided to sign up and get some opinions.

I have a white MIM Strat (maple neck) with Blue/Silver/Red Lace Sensor pickups (the guitar was originally a HSS strat but I just bought a new pickguard and swapped them out). I've been playing guitar for a five or so years now, but I'm pretty new to the whole building/customizing world. I have never been happy with the neck on this guitar, so I've recently been considering ordering a Warmoth. Originally I was fascinated with the Birdseye Maple, but I think I may have changed my mind to choosing an unfinished wood such as Goncalo or Pau Ferro, based on what I've read here. I would love to hear some testimonials from anyone with these types of necks, particularly in combination with an Alder body.

I'm also debating what neck contour I want to go with. I assume that my Strat currently has a standard thin neck, but I have relatively large hands and wouldn't mind trying out something a little thicker.

Any advice/opinions would be greatly appreciated!  ccasion14:

 

[m4rk0]

go for whatever looks/feel you want to go for!! I have tried the majority of nekkid neck wood options, and I haven't been disappointed with any of them!!
per example, if you do not like the red/white contrast, Padouk, Bloodwood and Boobenga are out.
if you want something that looks close to a maple neck, go for Canary,
personally, I think a nice Rosewood or Wenge neck would look great with a white body + they feel and sound great!

the 59 roundback is a nice step up from standard thin if you want something a little bigger.. the fatback may be too much of a difference.
if you have big hands, I would definitely recommend at least a 1-11/16" nut!

 

[back2thefutre]

get a nice warmoth booy too dude

 

[AutoBat]

Second on 59 Roundback.  That's what I put on my MIM body. (mahogany/ebony neck)
btw: stainless steel frets.  you want them.

If I had been on the board longer before I ordered, I almost certainly would have gotten an exotic neck without a finish.

 

[Rhino Toaster]

Thanks for the replies!

if you want something that looks close to a maple neck, go for Canary,

I don't see Canary listen as an option. Do they just not stock certain woods all the time?

get a nice warmoth booy too dude

I would love to get one eventually! But at the moment it isn't really an option, financially speaking, and a new neck is more of a priority for me.

btw: stainless steel frets.  you want them.

Could you explain the benefits, please?

 

[bagman67]

Stainless steel frets are considerably harder than the nickel silver variety, which makes them wear out much more slowly.  Folks who like the stainless frets point to that hardness as a good thing, and say they make bends much smoother.  I am not as yet familiar with them, but when I do get my next neck I'll be getting stainless to find out for myself. 

Cagey, go ahead, this is one of your hot topics -


Bagman

 

[bbl4ck]

if you want something that looks close to a maple neck, go for Canary,

I don't see Canary listen as an option. Do they just not stock certain woods all the time?

They do not always have Canary in stock.  I ordered a Canary neck about a month ago and got the last blank in stock
However, I know they will be getting more as it is a very popular wood.
Canary is one of my favorites.  I have three Canary necks and love the all...

Good luck &  :rock-on:

 

[Rhino Toaster]

Canary is one of my favorites.  I have three Canary necks and love the all...

Good luck &  :rock-on:

What fingerboards do you have paired with them? Or do you have Canary fingerboards as well?

 

[bbl4ck]

Canary is one of my favorites.  I have three Canary necks and love the all...

Good luck &  :rock-on:

What fingerboards do you have paired with them? Or do you have Canary fingerboards as well?

Canary neck w/ Malagasy Rosewood FB
Canary neck w/ Macassar Ebony FB
Canary neck w/ Ziricote FB [this one is my favorite]

 

[Superlizard]

Do eet right:

Maple/maple w/ vintage tint gloss and bigger frets (than MIM style).

More expensive than typical bare-wood suggestions due to finishing cost (which is why bare-wood necks are
popular here - don't cost as much), but worth it.

...and don't forget the CBS "pornstar" headstock.   :icon_thumright:

 

[crash]

What about goncalo alves/ pau ferro?  I almost got one of those.

 

[Rhino Toaster]

Do eet right:

Maple/maple w/ vintage tint gloss and bigger frets (than MIM style).

Is there anything in particular that you prefer about a finished maple neck? Or rather, what you don't like about unfinished?

What about goncalo alves/ pau ferro?  I almost got one of those.

I'm actually really strongly considering that combination. I've read some good things on here.

 

[bagman67]

If you don't finish your maple Warmoth neck with a hard finish, you aren't afforded warranty protection.  Some folks like a raw maple neck and thus leave it naked anyway.  I haven't read on this board of anyone running afoul of neck cooties by virtue of leaving their maple neck unfinished, but there's a reason Warmoth specifies a hard finish for the maple - it's got a statistically significant higher likelihood of going south on you at some point.

Bagman

 

[Superlizard]

Is there anything in particular that you prefer about a finished maple neck?

Mainly because Strat Tone (TM) = maple neck; whether maple fretboard or rosewood.

 

[Cagey]

Do the ebony on pau ferro neck, with SS 6100 frets. No finish needed, so you save $125 or so, but feels/sounds like maple on maple. Very tight grain on both those woods - almost feels like plastic, but with a satin touch. The SS frets will feel like glass, they're so smooth, and with frets that tall you'll have supreme control over those pesky strings, plus they'll last 7,291 years. No change in tone, although I think I perceive a little more articulation on hammer/pull/ghost notes. Could be my imagination, though. In any event, there's no downside to them and the adder is almost nothing. Foolish to pass up.

Lookit this bad oscar...

$265 for the weapon, $30 for a properly cut slippery nut (black TUSQ), $20 for some SS frets, plus shipping. So, figger $330 or so at your door in about 2 weeks. Git 'er done here.

 

[Rhino Toaster]

Thanks Cagey, that was a really helpful post. I'm strongly considering getting that neck but I'm also looking at a similarly priced neck with a pau ferro neck and fingerboard. Do you have a preference between the pau ferro and ebony for a fingerboard? I like the look of the pau ferro better, but if ebony plays nicer then I would definitely go with that.

 

[Cagey]

I haven't played a pau ferro fretboard, so I can't say whether it feels any better/worse. I suspect it would be a Good Thing, and have considered it myself. But, with railroad ties for frets, you're not going to feel the fretboard much anyway. The object of the exercise there is to get something really hard for the frets to set in, so the strings don't get cushioned and lose definition. Plus, you said you have a white body - ebony is going to contrast that nicely, appearance-wise. On top of that, you could use black or chrome hardware and either would look good. Chrome costs a bit less and seems to wear a bit better, but black is less common. Whatever floats yer boat <grin>